Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Well, that title's cumbersome, but with good cause; it's to guide here any searcher who's encountered this character and wants the inside track. I posted before about the 419Eater site at my Post#89 "African Scam Babes" and this is the further story I promised about my correspondence with a scammer.

Several months ago, I listed my blog at Spicypage (This post has been in draft mode since October '08 and I long ago lost interest in Spicypage) just to see what it was about and whether there was any merit to using the site. I'm still not sure on that (I am now) but I did discover that there seem to be a lot of spammers targeting the site. My first message, other than from the site's welcome wagon, was titled "Hello dear", coming from a person using the handle "Glorybaby" and providing a Gmail address for GloryJagas. The message said that they'd seen my profile on the site (which was, apart from my handle, non-existent) and that they found me interesting and would like to get better acquainted. I was urged to send a message by email so that I could receive a photograph of this character. After this little ritual "we can get going!" promised the correspondent. The sign-off was that race and distance should be no obstacle to love. I used the options on the site to report this obvious come-on as spam and deleted it.

That would have been the lot, but an identical message turned up the next week using the handle "Lovehappiness" (or "Happinesslove; I can't remember now). This time I responded with a message to the correspondent through the Spicypage site, using "The Voice of Sweet Reason". I pointed out that there are many legitimate ways of making a profit through the Internet without engaging in unethical behaviour. I enquired as to what the spammer's motives were. I wasn't expecting this type to reform, I just wanted to see what the response might be. Nothing as it happens.

Then, next week, same message again, using the handle "Maldaline". This time I responded, "Why would I want a photograph of a spammer?"

The next week...same message from "Lancy" something-or-other. I left another Spicypage message saying, "Welcome back Glorybaby, Happinesslove, Maldaline, etc! Your nomenclatural innovations are most delightful but your pitch needs some work, sweetheart."

And the next week...same message from "Edith" - but with the added provisos that I must reply by email and not through the Spicypage site.

At this point I became somewhat irritated. This character not only wants to rip me off, they want me to be an obedient and submissive sap and get ripped off their way! Now any good con has to give the mark something approaching respect (before it shows its teeth) and this scammer wanted to be prescriptive from the word go. Okay, I'll give you something, bastard.

I created an email account in the name of "Bogus Maximus" (no kidding) and sent the message below:

From:edith zakyTo: Bogus MaximusSent: Friday, 3 October, 2008 5:19:35 PMSubject: I WILL LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU.

Hello my love,i am so happy in your mail to my mail.How was your day?,Mine is a little bit cold over here in Dakar Senegal.My name is Edith from Ivory Coast in West Africa,5.4ft tall, dark in complexion,(never married before ) 23Yrs old and presently i am residing in the refugee camp here in Dakar as a result of the civil war that was fought in my country.My late father Dr Frederick Zarky was the managing director of Fredcocoa and Associates (Ltd) and he was the personal advicer to the former head of state (Late Dr Robert Guei) before the rebels attacked our house one early morning and killed my mother and my father in cold blood.It was only me that is alive now and I managed to make my way to a near by country Senegal where i am leaving now.I could like to know more about you.Attached here is my picture and I will send another picture in my next mail.I will also like to see your picture.Hoping to hear from you soonest,Edith

(Of course, the probability of the sender being female or looking remotely like these photographs is infinitesimal. As in x -> 0. However, for ease of writing, I won't bother putting inverted commas around "Edith" after this. I've reduced the photos for convenience and the slogan on the red t-shirt is now illegible. It says, "I'M AN ACTRESS Can I take your order?" This apparently is a joke about how most aspiring actresses have to support themselves. Ironic in the circumstances.)

My preferred option was to lure Edith into contributing to a blog which I could change from private to public once we'd finished exchanging confidences - it saves work copying emails. So:

From: Bogus MaximusTo: edith zakySent: Monday, 6 October, 2008 1:05:20 PMSubject: I WILL LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU

Hello Edith! I have sent you an email inviting you to join a private blog which only you and I can read! Please accept my invitation and send your photographs and messages to the blog. I look forward to hearing from you!!

And here is the second "script":

From: edith zakyTo: Bogus MaximusSent: Monday, 6 October, 2008 4:43:46 PMSubject:HONEY THIS IS MY FULL LIFE STORY WITH LOVE AND TRUST

Hello Dearest ,I am happy in your reply to my mail. How are you?, hope is alright, mine is a little bit boring.In this camp we are only allowed to go out from the camp only on Mondays and Fridays of the week, its just like one staying in the prison and i hope by Gods grace i will be free someday, i don't have any relative now whom i can go to, all my relatives ran away in the middle of the war, the only person i have now is Rev. Genadine Isaac who is the pastor of the (Kingdom's Assembly Int'l Churches) here in the camp, he has been very nice to me since i came here but i am not living with him rather i am leaving in the women's hostel because the camp have two hostels one for men the other for women. The Pastors Tel number is (+221761202124) if you call and tell him that you want to speak with me he will send for me in the hostel. As a refugee here i don't have any right or privileged to any thing be it money or whatever because it is against the law of this country, i want to go back to my studies because i only attended my first year before the tragic incident that lead to my being in this situation now took place..Please listen to this,i have my late father's statement of account and death certificate here with me which i will send to you latter,because when he was alive he deposited some amount of money in one the leading banks in Europe which he used my name as the next of kin,the amount in question is $5.7( Five Million seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars). So i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account and from it you can send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you. I kept this secret from people in the camp here the only person that knows about it is the Reverend because he is like a father to me. So in the light of above i will like you to keep it to yourself and don't tell it to anyone for i am afraid of loosing my life and the money if people gets to know about it. Remember i am giving you all this information due to the trust i deposed on you, i like honest and understanding people and a man of vision, truth and hardworking, our main language is french but English is my favorite because i also speaks it fluently. Meanwhile i will like you to call me like i said i have a lot to tell you, have a nice day and think about me, awaiting to hear from you soonest,Yours in love. Edith.

Love? Well, I grit my teeth over receiving protestations of love from a correspondent who is probably male and soldier on:

From: Bogus MaximusTo: edith zakySent: Tuesday, 7 October, 2008 1:46:52 PMSubject: Re: HONEY THIS IS MY FULL LIFE STORY WITH LOVE AND TRUST...

Edith, I am puzzled by your answer. Please accept the invitation I have emailed you to use the blog to communicate. Email is dangerous because it is traceable. The blog is impossible for security agencies to track so it is best to use it to talk. Once you have signed on to the blog you will be able to see the messages I left you and you can leave your photos and messages there. Because of my position here I cannot risk communicating by email any longer. Please use the blog or I will not be able to help you.

My Dearest.How are you today, hope you are fine, dear i want to thank for all your effort and love towards me, you have given me hope and i will also like to see you face to face,i like you very much and i want you to know that before i contacted you i saw your profile that you matched mine and you are the type of man i am looking forward to spend the rest of my life with.I am not going to give your love to any other man you will satisfy me,so needless of looking for another man.

Please i have not told anyone except you and the Reverend about the existence of this money and i will like you to please keep it secret to other people because since it is (MONEY) all eyes will be on it.

Remember i trust you honey that is why i am giving you all this information!. My love is for you and you alone,i will like to hear your voice please,just call the Rev and tell him that you want to speak with me and he will send for me immediately.You can call the Reverend and ask him the best time to call me.His office phone no (00221-761202124)

I have informed the bank about my plans to claim this money and the only thing they told me is to look for a foreign partner who will stand on my behalf due to my refugee status and the laws of this country.You will have 15% of the total money for helping me and the remaining money will be managed by you in any business of your choice while i go back to my studies. In this regards iwill like you to contact the bank immediately with this information below,tell them that you are my foreign partner and that you want to know the possibilities of assisting me transfer my 5.7 million dollars deposited by my late father which i am the next of kin to your account in your country.

Contact them now on how to transfer the 5.7 milliondollars deposited by my late of which i am the next of kin.I have mapped out 15% for your assistanceMy dear iam glad that God has brought you to see me out from this situation and i promise to be kind and will equally need you in every area of my life including investing this money since iam still too young to manage it.

As i told you before,this camp is just like a prison and my prayers is to move out from here as soon as possible.Please make sure that you contact the bank so that after the transfer you can send some money from that money for me to prepare my traveling documents to meet with you in your country.I will send you another picture latter when i know your mind about this.Awaiting to hear from you soonest!.Yours forever in love,Edith.

As the regulars at the 419Eater site know, it's hard to break through to the consciousness of the scammer and persuade them to respond to what you are actually writing. Another try:

Edith, I don't wish to take any of your money. I will be very glad to help you with no reward other than the satisfaction of doing a favour for a genuine lady. But, I regret, I cannot proceed to help you by any means of communication other than the secret blog that I have invited you to join. Please access the blog and I will begin to make arrangements with you for your escape to Australia.

Further, I recommend that you do not trust that Reverend gentleman. I believe that he is actually not your friend and is conspiring with the government of Cote D'Ivoire to steal your inheritance.

Hello my sweeth daerling Maximus ,honey good morning to you and please how are you today hope you are fine and please how is your family hope thrir alright thank God for that as for me am not fine honey here is too hort to me please help me out.My love i saw your mail just now and m so much happy about it and i also understand you well . Honey please how about the bank ? have you write to them as i told you in my last mail please my love if no please try to mail them today so that they will tell you how to transfer the money please .See honey i told the bank every thing about you all you need to do is to send them mail and you tell them that you are my partner that you want to no the possibilities of this transfer and i believe with this they will understand you better and please do let me no as soon as you write to them ok thank you and kisssss to you bye .Your's sweeth baby Edzak .

Edith, I am concerned that you are under coercion and are not able to communicate freely. If you are able to deal freely, please accept the invitation to the blog. I have placed your emails there but I need you to load your photographs to the blog directly. I cannot help you unless you do this. For reasons of security I cannot go into more detail through email but if you sign onto the blog all will be explained.

Hello my rising sun,How are you doing today ? i hope that you are fine please darling i got your mail and i am very happy to read from you again since my last mail to you we have been without electric light and that is why you haven't heared from me again.Please its likely that i am disturbing you but you have to bear with me because when i try to think about something else i can't help my self i start thinking about you. you know they say that time heals every wound but i think not love and hunger , Ilove you and i am hungry of you.Now darling i will also like to know if you have confirmed from the bank or not please try to write or call them and know if i am telling you the truth or not.i love you today, i love you tomorrow and i will love you forever.yours ever Edith

Today, tomorrow and forever...I shall despise you. But my creative writing impulse had taken hold, so - the grand flourish. Also known as "friends in high places".

Edith, I am very glad that you are able to make contact.I have arranged for the Australian consular staff in Senegal to assist you in leaving the country and retrieving your funds. My friend, Stephen Smith, the Australian Foreign Minister, has told me that your application for refugee status and resettlement in Australia will be given very favourable treatment.However, there is a slight difficulty. You have not identified the location of the camp you are in. Please provide this information so that the Australian officials can visit you and begin the process of liberating you from the camp. Be careful not to discuss this with others in the camp. There are people in such places who will attempt to extort money from you in order to facilitate your departure.There is some sort of firewall problem preventing the transmission of the photgraphs you have sent by email. Please upload them to the blog I told you about in my previous messages. I will forward them to the diplomatic staff so that they will be able to recognise you. This will prevent any imposture by others.

Yes, I'm so solicitous for poor, sweet Edith. And then look what the ungrateful bitch writes:

Hello My dear, how are you doing at this weekend?, hope you are doing alright, darling thanks for your mail and your suggestion on how i will be freed by your foreign afairs diplomats, i appreciate your efforts but i don't think is safe for me, i am here and i know what happends here, you don't understand the situation here, please i don't want to be a problem to any person or a group of people and that is why i told you to first of help me to transfer my late fathers money from which you can send me some money to get the valid documents, i don't want to an ubject of pity, no matter my condition, again i don't want you to futher discuss my issue with any person here in Africa, my life is very much of important to me, now if you really want to help me, i want you to tell me so that we can continue with the transfer, if not, i will know my next steps, have a nice weekend as i am hopping to hear from you soonest, yours,Edith.

Next steps? He's definitely being too overbearing. Let's throw down the gauntlet:

Edith, I am increasingly puzzled by your responses to my messages. I appreciate that there are significant cultural differences between us and I have not seen fit to comment upon your expressions of affection and trust towards me. They are somewhat surprising in that I am a complete stranger to you. To an Australian this seems rather disproportionate to our relationship.

Because of my position in the Western Australian government I must use a nonsense pseudonym and common email account to correspond with you. I could not contemplate identifying myself because of the difficulty it could create. I am a senior official in the office of a prominent Minister of the Crown in this State. I have offered to assist you in escaping from Senegal by exercising what would be considered by some to be improper influence through a personal contact in the Federal government of Australia.

I don't regard you as pitiable; you have a serious problem; you have reached to me for help and I am able to render it if you will accept my advice. What is the use of sending me money? Your liberation could be effected within 24 hours without any Australian being paid a penny. I also could not contemplate receiving any payment from you because it would create a serious scandal if the matter became public.Please reconsider your position. If you refuse I will, regretfully, have to conclude that you are acting under duress or that your story is simply not true.

Four days without reply...he's off the hook. Damn. Well, now for the coup de disgrace:

Greetin's mugu!!! You has bin had mah fraynd. Yays, you has been corryspondin' wid de Bogus Maximus. Ahnd he is a verra wicked fella dat Bogus. He lahks to tell lies in de email and get de poor scambaiters all vexated, mah mon!Now, really, you should know a phony when you meet one. Your 4-1-9 advance fee scam is not one of the more sophisticated, but, lacking in imagination as you appear to be, you still might think it strange to find a friend of the Australian Foreign Minister offering to save little "Edith" from the terrible conspirators.Thanks to your efforts in responding to my messages Interpol are now in the process of tracing your emails to their transmission site. Impossible? A bluff? Well, you'll find out soon enough if you keep using that Internet cafe.

No reply. With that subject line I'll bet he read it. Was he discouraged? Perhaps I made him a little uneasy about using that Internet cafe. I certainly wasted some of his time and got him to think about what he was writing instead of simply copying and pasting scripts. Along the way I searched for the other names on the Spicypage messages. I turned up "Edith Zarky", "GloryJagas", "Lancy Mokan" and found, in related links the name "Atonia", apparently another alias. Then there's "Maldaline Yahaya" whom you can see "a picture of" at this page at Stop-Scammers.com. Once you open the door to this world of utter falsity you find an infinitely-recurring pattern. In my estimate, Stop-Scammers is itself a scam. It has a monthly registration fee, registration is required to access anything past the front pages and it carries Googleads for the very kind of sites that are most scam-infested , E.g. "Russian Women" etc... I left a message on their guestbook calling them on it and saying, "What a great scam...let the scam-suckers provide you with site content to attract other suckers and get them to pay for the privilege of reading each others' cautionary tales". Strange it is that their Guestbook Moderator did not choose to publish my comment. Far better is the 419eater site which I commend, if only for some bloody entertaining reads. Check out their "Main Scambaiting Forum".

Also you can look at this and make your own conclusions..Maybe this site is on the level...but why run ads for dating services on a site about dating scams? It's not as though they look exceptionally ethical.

There is an ancient proverb which tells us that a fool and his money are soon parted. Another says that there is no coming between fools and their follies. In Australia it is held of old that "You should never argue with a mug". (Or a mugu perhaps.) True as these are, I can't help being provoked by the scum who are luring the fools. Behind the cons is the depressing fact of the enormous and desperate loneliness of so many millions. There is no laughter in that.